Washing-machine



J. W. SEIFERT.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6, 1919.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MW M W JOHN SEIEERT, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

s is;

wAsi IivG-MAoIiiNE.

This invention relates to washing ma chines, and particularly to means for washingclothes or fabric wherein a collapsible article holding basket is employed, and has for its primary object to provide means of the clothes and thorough saturation thereof a simplified and improved nature for causing the basket to be collapsed and extended alternately to cause thorough agitation of with the cleansing fluid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine of the charac ter stated which is equipped with improved means for collapsing or extending the article holding basket, and which may be readily actuated with but a small amount of energy to cause the article holding basket to be lifted from the washing machine and 1 held in convenient position for the applicaconstruction with economy in operation, and which has its various working or movable parts of such construction as to minimize the opportunity for wear, breakage or detion orremoval of clothes.

A San further ob'ect of the inventionfis I a I I cause the same to alternately contract or to provide a washing machine of the character stated which combines simplicity of rangement. V V V V The inventionconsists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement parts in the position they will assume when 7 of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed reference being had to the accoma panying drawings, in which machine constructed in accordance with my invention,' the dotted lines indicating the removing clothes from the machine or apv plying them thereto,

7 Fig.2 is-a fragmentary longitudinal sec- 7 tion taken through the machine,

Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation show"- ing the operating handle locked to the rer a in Application filed August 6, 1919.

F'gure l is a side elevation of a washing Spe i i of Letters Patent Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

Serial No. 315,622.

chine,

of Fig. 3, and r Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the T-members. Referring now more particularly to'the drawings, 10' indicates the casing of the washing, machine, the same being formed of sheet metal or any other preferred material, and converges at itslower end so as to form a boiler portion 11. This boiler portion is provided with an outlet 12 to enable the water therein to be drawn oif' when desired.

Fig.- 4: is an end elevation of the ma- Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55' The boilerportionhas arranged beneath the same a fire box indicated generally at 13, by means of which I the water'in theboil'er is'heated', and an ash pit 14: is arranged beneath the fire box The casto receive-ashesfrom the fire box. ing, boiler, fire box and" ash pit may be suitably made into a unitary structure, and

this structure is supported by the legs 15.

The receptacle to hold theclothes during the'washing operation comprises-a forami nous basket 16 preferably of polygonal shape, andthis basket is arranged within the casing and may be so, operated as to nected by means of its hinge pins to bracket members indicated at 18, the said brackets being of substantially T 'shape and arranged in inverted position. The horizontally disposed portions of these brackets are prosure member 20, the said closure -member being preferably .of foraminousconstrue tion and capable of sliding into and out of the said bracket members, as will be un i vided with guideways ,19 to receive the do wardly projecting guide ribs 21" to engage" in suitable guide ways 22 upon the inner surfaces of the casing ends; The upper extremities of the upright portions of the brackets} are pivotally connected with the transverse rod or shaft 23, and the extremities of this rod are rockably mounted in upright operating arms 24. The arms 2 iextend downwardly one upon each side of the casing and upon the exterior thereof and each of these arms is-provided with spaced pins 25 and 26.

Upon the exterior of each side of the casing there is pivotally mounted an operating lever 27, the latter being pivoted inwardly from their ends as at 28 to a suitable support carried by the casing or the frame, and the lower end of each lever is provided in its forward face with a notch portion 29 adapted to engage with the pin 26 at the lower end of the adjacent arm 24. The levers 27 are also provided above their pivot points with notch portions 30 to engage around the pins 25 upon the said arms 24., and these latter named notch portions have cooperating therewith hinged leaf members 31, each of which has arranged therein an opening to engage over the protruding end of pin 25 when the said leaf members are swung inwardly. It is obvious, therefore, that when the levers 27 are moved forwardly so that the notch portions therein are engaged with the upper pins 25 upon the operating arms, the leaf portions 31 may be swun inwardl so that the o )enin s therei in will receive the said pins, whereby the latter will be locked securely within the notch portions. Obviously, therefore, the hinged members will establish and maintain a positive connection between the op erating levers 27 and arms 24, and reciprocatory movement of the said levers will cause the operating arms and the basket supported by the shaft connecting them to reciprocate in a vertical direction. The upper ends of levers 27 are connected by a rod 82. Wheni it is desired to discontinue the washing operation, the hinged members carried by the levers may be disconnected from the pins 25, and rearward swinging movement of these levers causes the notch portions in the lower ends thereof to move into engagementwith pins 26 upon the operating arms near the lower ends thereof. Continued rearward swinging movement of the levers will then cause the operating arms 24 and the basket carried thereby to be moved upwardly out of engagement with the water within the eas ing. To facilitate maintaining the levers in.

position with the basket controlled thereby in raised or accessible position, supporting or locking means are employed for the purpose. Such means comprises the laterally slidable locking bars 83 at one end of the casing, and the inner ends of these bars are pivoted to the opposing ends of the oscillatory lock lever 84 pivoted intermediate its ends to the casing as at 85. The bars 33 are confined within the guard'members such v as straps 36 carried by the casing, and it will be observed that oscillation of the lever member will cause the ends of the bars 3 to be advanced or retracted. l/Vhen the levers 27 are swung to their extreme rearward position, they will pass downwardly beyond the plane of the bars 33, and operation of lock lever Set will then cause the extremities of these bars to protrude beyond the casing and to lie in the path of the op rating levers 27. These levers are thus locked in such position that the basket within the casing will be in lifted or raised position.

Upon each side of'the casing and on the interior thereof there is provided a pair of trackways indicated at 37. These trackways are arranged near the ends of the easing and are of short duration and horizontally disposed, and the inner extremities of the trackways are connected with right angular or vertically disposed trackways 38 of relatively short duration. These vertically disposed trackways extend from the trackways 87 to substantially the upper end of the casing. The basket 16 is in the present instance of hexagonal shape, and the upper side of the basket is horizontally disposed. The angularly inclined sides ex tending downwardly from this upper side of the casing have their lower hinged pintles extended, and rollers 39 mounted upon these protruding ends of the pintles rest upon the horizontally disposed portions 87 of the trackways. It is obvious, therefore, that downward movement applied to the basket will cause the basket to be contracted, as such pressure will cause the rollers at each side of the basket to travel in an outward direction upon their respective trachways, whereupon the upper and lower sides of the basket will be caused to move toward each other. Movement applied to the basket in the reverse direction will cause a re versal of the operation, andthe rollers will move toward each other until limited in such movement by the vertical trackway. 38. Continued upward movement applied. to the basket will cause the latter to move upwardly in the casing, and the said basket will be prevented from collapsing by reason of the engagement of rollers 39 with the vertically disposed trackways 38.

The trackways and the guides for the vertically movable bars for operating the basket may be secured direct to the casing or may be embodied in a frame such as that indicated at40. This frame may be made of angle iron as shown and arranged within the casing at the upper end thereof, resting upon the ledge 41 at the sides of the casing at the uncture of the converging boiler portion with the casing proper. may be set loosely into the casing or may be riveted or in any other manner secured therein.

The upper end of the casing is closed by This frame 7 the cover plates indicated at 42, each of which being of an area substantially equal to one-half the area "of the upper open end of the casing. These plates overlap the edges of the casing and are providedwith depending flange members as shown to enable the same to closely fit upon'the casing top. The adjacent ends of the plates are provided with cooperating means to insure a tight connection between the two, such means comprising an upstanding flange 43 on one of the plates and extending throughout the width thereof, and over which engages the curved end of a flange 4A of the other of said sections. These plates are pro vided with handles, as shown, to facilitate handling the same.

In operation, the fire in the fire box heats the water in the boiler, and when the desired temperature of the water has been reached the clothes are deposited in the basket. When receiving the clothes the basket is elevated, and this action is created by swinging the levers 27 to the limit of their rearward movement, whereupon the notch portions 29 in the lower'extremities thereof will engage the outwardly projecting pins 26 in the lower ends of the operating arms 24. With the notch portions and pins so engaged, downward movement of the levers rearwardly will cause the basket to be raised.- This movement continues until the levers have passed below the plane of the locking bars 33, whereupon the latter are projected so as to hold the levers against moving upwardly. During this downward movement of the levers the basket has been moving bodily upward, and the rollers 39 have been traveling upon the vertically disposed portions 38 of the trackways. Furthermore, the basket during such operation has been maintained in full open or expanded position. The clothes are now inserted in the upper end of the basket, whereupon the closure member for the basket is slid into place in the grooves or channels in the lower end of horizontally disposed portions of the T-shaped brackets 18. After this is done, the cover plates 42 are applied to the upper end of the casing, and the washing operation may proceed. The-latch bars 33 are retracted so as to release the levers 27, and the latter are swung upon their pivots forwardly until the notch portions 30 thereof engage with the upper P1118 25 on arms 2 During such movement, of course, the basket and its coordinated parts are moving downwardly, until arrested in such movement by engagement of the rollers 39 with horizontal trackways 37. When the notches 29 have inclosed pins 25, the hinged leaves 31 are swung forwardly so that the openings therein will engage over the protruding ends of the pins 25, whereupon the levers and operating arms 24 are rigidly swingingmovement' of the lever now causes the basket 16'to be collapsed or contracted, as the rollers 39 move outwardly upon the horizontal trackways 37; drawing inwardly upon the upper and'lower portions of the basket. Reverse movement of the lever causes a reversal of the operation, and "these oscillations of the'levers are continued for a time sufficient to enable the clothes within the basket to be thoroughly agitated and the water and steam within the casing to permeate the same. WVhen the washing operation is completed, the leaves 31 are detached from the pins 25 and the levers 27 are swung rearwardly until the notches in the lower ends thereof engage the outwardly projecting pins 26 of arms 24, whereupon the parts are in position to cause the basket to be elevated to a position convenient for the removal of the clothes therefrom.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a washing machine of simple construction and which will operate with the expenditure of a low amount of energy and will cause the water and steam within the compartment to thoroughly commingle with the clothes and to be agitated therewith. Agitation of the clothes and water in this manner causes the clothes to be efficiently cleansed, and the water squeezed from the clothes during the compressing or contracting operation with great pressure.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim I 1. In a washing machine, a casing, a collapsible basket therein comprising hinged sections, said basket being alternately collapsible and expansible vertically and laterally, means for applying working pressure to the basket in a vertical plane for alternately collapsing and expanding the same as set forth, and supporting and guiding means between the casing and sides of the basket for supporting and guiding said sides in a horizontal plane during the collapsing and expanding movement of the basket, whereby the basket may be verti-. cally and V horizontally collapsed and expanded without bodily moving the basket in a vertical plane.

2. In a washing machine, a casing, horizontal trackways in said casing, a collapsible basket in the casing comprising hinged sections, said basket being alternately collapsible and expansible vertically and laterally, rollers upon the basket to travel'upon said horizontal trackways, and means for applying working pressure to the basket in a vertical plane for causing said rollers to travel upon said trackways in'the collapsing and expanding movements of the basket.

3. In a washing machine, a casing, a polygonal basket in said casing and having its sides hingedly connected, trackways in said casing, rollers carried by the hinge members of certain of the said sides and resting upon said trackways, and means for exerting pressure upon said basket at an angle to the direction of said trackways.

l. In a washing machine, a casing, a collapsible basket in said casing, upright operating arms connected With said basket and adapted when reciprocated to expand or collapse said basket, levers pivoted upon 10 said casing and having notches, pins on said operating arms adapted to be engaged in said notches, and hinged members on said arms to engage With said pins to lock the same in said notches.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

JOHN W. SEIFERT. 

